Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser-induced thermal imaging apparatus and method, and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus using the same, and more particularly, to a laser-induced thermal imaging apparatus and method, and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus using the same, by which transfer defects may be reduced.
Description of the Related Art
An organic light-emitting display apparatus has high response speeds, low power consumption, and wide view angles, which are advantages in a mobile image display apparatus. Furthermore, the organic light-emitting display apparatus may be manufactured at a low temperature based on conventional semiconductor technology, and the manufacturing method is simpler than other displays, and thus the organic light-emitting display apparatus is drawing attention as a next-generation flat-panel display.
A light-emitting layer, and other elements are interposed between a pixel electrode and a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode in the organic light-emitting display apparatus. An example of a method of patterning the light-emitting layer, and other elements is a laser-induced thermal imaging (LITI) method.
The LITI method is a method of converting a laser beam irradiated from a light source into heat energy, and forming a pattern by transferring a light-emitting layer, and other elements to a substrate using the heat energy. In order to perform the LITI method, a donor film, where a transfer layer such as a light-emitting layer to be transferred is formed, a light source, and a substrate which is a subject are needed.
In the LITI method, the donor film generally covers the entire substrate, which is a receptor, and the donor film and the substrate are fixed on a substrate support unit, such as a storage. Thereafter, a laser beam is irradiated on the donor film, and a light-emitting layer, and other elements are transferred to the substrate.
However, according to the conventional laser-induced thermal imaging method, the transfer cannot be completed in one scanning on the front surface of one substrate due to the limitation of a width or length of a laser beam, and thus a light-emitting layer, etc. are formed in a plurality of times of scanning on one substrate. At this time, after scanning a laser beam in a first area, when scanning the beam in a second area, transfer defects referred to as stitch defects may occur in a portion of the second area, which is adjacent to the first area, due to the influence of the previous laser beam scanning.